Latest news with #NativeAmericanImagery
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The history of Native American sports name changes, from the Obama era to Trump's latest comments
President Donald Trump's social media posts calling for the NFL's Washington Commanders and Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old names has revived the conversation about Native American imagery in sports. Each team has indicated it has no plans to go back to names that were abandoned years ago in the aftermath of a reckoning over racial injustice, iconography and racism in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Other professional teams have maintained names and logos through criticism and calls from activists who say they are offensive. Here is a look at how the issue has unfolded: October 2013 Then-President Barack Obama told The Associated Press he would 'think about changing' the name of the Washington Redskins if he owned the team. 'I don't know whether our attachment to a particular name should override the real legitimate concerns that people have about these things,' Obama said. Donald Trump soon after posted to Twitter: 'President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them,not nonsense.' January 2018 The Cleveland Indians announced they would remove the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms the following year after decades of protests and complaints that the grinning, red-faced caricature used in one version or another since 1947 is racist. 'Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game,' Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. He said the logo 'is no longer appropriate for on-field use.' The team said it would continue to sell merchandise with the logo in the Cleveland area. Summer 2020 After several sponsors publicly voiced their opposition to the name Redskins, longtime owner Dan Snyder said in early July the organization would undergo a 'thorough review." Snyder had said multiple times since buying the team in 1999 that he had no intent of changing it. Cleveland hours later said it was considering going away from Indians, the baseball team's name since 1915. Manager Terry Francona said he was in favor of a change. On July 13, Snyder announced the Redskins moniker was being retired after 87 years, dating to the team's time in Boston. Later in the month, the organization unveiled plans to be known as the Washington Football Team for at least one season, and that name remained through 2021. MLB's Atlanta Braves and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks doubled down on their names. The Braves wrote in a letter to season-ticket holders they will 'always be' known as that, while the Blackhawks said they would continue to use their name and logo because it honors Native American leader Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation. The Braves said they were reviewing the use of the tomahawk chop and chant, a discussion they started with Native American leaders in 2019. The Blackhawks banned headdresses at home games. In August, the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs followed suit, prohibiting the use of Native American headdresses, face paint and clothing at their stadium. They faced increased scrutiny over the tomahawk chop and chant around winning their first Super Bowl title that February. December 2020 Cleveland owner Paul Dolan announced the team would no longer be called the Indians following the 2021 season. 'It was a learning process for me and I think when fair-minded, open-minded people really look at it, think about it and maybe even spend some time studying it, I like to think they would come to the same conclusion: It's a name that had its time, but this is not the time now, and certainly going forward, the name is no longer acceptable in our world,' Dolan told the AP, adding he did not want an interim moniker like Washington's. Trump quote-tweeted a story about the change with the message: 'Oh no! What is going on? This is not good news, even for 'Indians'. Cancel culture at work!' July 2021 Seemingly out of the blue, Cleveland unveiled its new name, Guardians, in a video posted to social media. They completed the season as the Indians before becoming the Guardians in November. Cleveland's new name was inspired by the large landmark stone edifices — referred to as traffic guardians — that flank both ends of the Hope Memorial Bridge, which connects downtown to Ohio City. October 2021 The tomahawk chop was front and center as the Braves reached — and won — the World Series, with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred endorsing the fan behavior, citing the support of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, based in North Carolina about three hours from Atlanta. 'The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop,' Manfred said. 'For me, that's kind of the end of the story. In that market, we're taking into account the Native American community.' February 2022 After a lengthy process, Washington rebranded as the Commanders. Snyder said the change pays 'homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation's capital.' 'As we kick off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us,' Snyder said. 'We continue to honor and represent the burgundy and gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.' President Joe Biden welcomed the name change by posting a picture on Twitter of Commander, his recently acquired German shepherd puppy, in front of the White House. 'I suppose there's room for two Commanders in this town,' Biden wrote. Summer 2023 A group led by Josh Harris, which included Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, finalized the purchase of the Commanders from Snyder for a North American pro sports record $6.05 billion. Harris and co-owner Mitch Rales, who grew up in the area of the team, used the word Redskins at their introductory news conference, sparking renewed chatter about the subject. Before the season started, Harris said ownership would not be going back to the old name. Summer 2024 Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, threatened to block a congressional bill to transfer land to potentially be used for a new football stadium in Washington unless the Commanders and the NFL honored the former Indian head logo in some way. The original logo was designed by a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. After lobbying on Capitol Hill by Harris and Commissioner Roger Goodell, the bill passed in December at the eleventh hour, and Biden signed it into law in January. It gave control of the RFK Stadium site from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which agreed to a deal with the team in April to build there, pending city council approval. February 3, 2025 After Washington made the playoffs and went on an improbable run to the NFC championship game with Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, Harris said at his season-ending news conference that the Commanders name was here to stay, quieting speculation about another rebrand. 'I think it's now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff, so, we're going with that,' Harris said. 'Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It's about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It's really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.' July 20, 2025 With the stadium deal not yet done, Trump threatened to block it if Washington did not go back to the name Redskins. Trump on his social media site posted: 'I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington." Asked about ways Trump could block the construction of a stadium where the team played during its glory days until moving to Maryland, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser shifted the focus to hammering out a deal voted on by the council. 'What I'm concerned about is we haven't done our part, and so we need to complete our part so that the team can get to work, so that local businesses can get hired, so that we can start earning the tax revenue that will come when we deliver the Commanders stadium," Bowser said. ___ AP sports:
The Independent
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
The history of Native American sports name changes, from the Obama era to Trump's latest comments
President Donald Trump's social media posts calling for the NFL's Washington Commanders and Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old names has revived the conversation about Native American imagery in sports. Each team has indicated it has no plans to go back to names that were abandoned years ago in the aftermath of a reckoning over racial injustice, iconography and racism in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Other professional teams have maintained names and logos through criticism and calls from activists who say they are offensive. Here is a look at how the issue has unfolded: October 2013 Then-President Barack Obama told The Associated Press he would 'think about changing' the name of the Washington Redskins if he owned the team. 'I don't know whether our attachment to a particular name should override the real legitimate concerns that people have about these things,' Obama said. Trump soon after posted to Twitter: 'President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them,not nonsense.' January 2018 The Cleveland Indians announced they would remove the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms the following year after decades of protests and complaints that the grinning, red-faced caricature used in one version or another since 1947 is racist. 'Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game,' Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. He said the logo 'is no longer appropriate for on-field use.' The team said it would continue to sell merchandise with the logo in the Cleveland area. Summer 2020 After several sponsors publicly voiced their opposition to the name Redskins, longtime owner Dan Snyder said in early July the organization would undergo a 'thorough review." Snyder had said multiple times since buying the team in 1999 that he had no intent of changing it. Cleveland hours later said it was considering going away from Indians, the baseball team's name since 1915. Manager Terry Francona said he was in favor of a change. On July 13, Snyder announced the Redskins moniker was being retired after 87 years, dating to the team's time in Boston. Later in the month, the organization unveiled plans to be known as the Washington Football Team for at least one season, and that name remained through 2021. MLB's Atlanta Braves and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks doubled down on their names. The Braves wrote in a letter to season-ticket holders they will 'always be' known as that, while the Blackhawks said they would continue to use their name and logo because it honors Native American leader Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation. The Braves said they were reviewing the use of the tomahawk chop and chant, a discussion they started with Native American leaders in 2019. The Blackhawks banned headdresses at home games. In August, the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs followed suit, prohibiting the use of Native American headdresses, face paint and clothing at their stadium. They faced increased scrutiny over the tomahawk chop and chant around winning their first Super Bowl title that February. December 2020 Cleveland owner Paul Dolan announced the team would no longer be called the Indians following the 2021 season. 'It was a learning process for me and I think when fair-minded, open-minded people really look at it, think about it and maybe even spend some time studying it, I like to think they would come to the same conclusion: It's a name that had its time, but this is not the time now, and certainly going forward, the name is no longer acceptable in our world,' Dolan told the AP, adding he did not want an interim moniker like Washington's. Trump quote-tweeted a story about the change with the message: 'Oh no! What is going on? This is not good news, even for 'Indians'. Cancel culture at work!' July 2021 Seemingly out of the blue, Cleveland unveiled its new name, Guardians, in a video posted to social media. They completed the season as the Indians before becoming the Guardians in November. Cleveland's new name was inspired by the large landmark stone edifices — referred to as traffic guardians — that flank both ends of the Hope Memorial Bridge, which connects downtown to Ohio City. October 2021 The tomahawk chop was front and center as the Braves reached — and won — the World Series, with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred endorsing the fan behavior, citing the support of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, based in North Carolina about three hours from Atlanta. 'The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop,' Manfred said. 'For me, that's kind of the end of the story. In that market, we're taking into account the Native American community.' February 2022 After a lengthy process, Washington rebranded as the Commanders. Snyder said the change pays 'homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation's capital.' 'As we kick off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us,' Snyder said. 'We continue to honor and represent the burgundy and gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.' President Joe Biden welcomed the name change by posting a picture on Twitter of Commander, his recently acquired German shepherd puppy, in front of the White House. 'I suppose there's room for two Commanders in this town,' Biden wrote. Summer 2023 A group led by Josh Harris, which included Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, finalized the purchase of the Commanders from Snyder for a North American pro sports record $6.05 billion. Harris and co-owner Mitch Rales, who grew up in the area of the team, used the word Redskins at their introductory news conference, sparking renewed chatter about the subject. Before the season started, Harris said ownership would not be going back to the old name. Summer 2024 Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, threatened to block a congressional bill to transfer land to potentially be used for a new football stadium in Washington unless the Commanders and the NFL honored the former Indian head logo in some way. The original logo was designed by a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. After lobbying on Capitol Hill by Harris and Commissioner Roger Goodell, the bill passed in December at the eleventh hour, and Biden signed it into law in January. It gave control of the RFK Stadium site from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which agreed to a deal with the team in April to build there, pending city council approval. February 3, 2025 After Washington made the playoffs and went on an improbable run to the NFC championship game with Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, Harris said at his season-ending news conference that the Commanders name was here to stay, quieting speculation about another rebrand. 'I think it's now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff, so, we're going with that,' Harris said. 'Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It's about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It's really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.' July 20, 2025 With the stadium deal not yet done, Trump threatened to block it if Washington did not go back to the name Redskins. Trump on his social media site posted: 'I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington." Asked about ways Trump could block the construction of a stadium where the team played during its glory days until moving to Maryland, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser shifted the focus to hammering out a deal voted on by the council. 'What I'm concerned about is we haven't done our part, and so we need to complete our part so that the team can get to work, so that local businesses can get hired, so that we can start earning the tax revenue that will come when we deliver the Commanders stadium," Bowser said. ___
Associated Press
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
The history of Native American sports name changes, from the Obama era to Trump's latest comments
President Donald Trump's social media posts calling for the NFL's Washington Commanders and Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old names has revived the conversation about Native American imagery in sports. Each team has indicated it has no plans to go back to names that were abandoned years ago in the aftermath of a reckoning over racial injustice, iconography and racism in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Other professional teams have maintained names and logos through criticism and calls from activists who say they are offensive. Here is a look at how the issue has unfolded: October 2013 Then-President Barack Obama told The Associated Press he would 'think about changing' the name of the Washington Redskins if he owned the team. 'I don't know whether our attachment to a particular name should override the real legitimate concerns that people have about these things,' Obama said. Trump soon after posted to Twitter: 'President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them,not nonsense.' January 2018 The Cleveland Indians announced they would remove the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms the following year after decades of protests and complaints that the grinning, red-faced caricature used in one version or another since 1947 is racist. 'Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game,' Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. He said the logo 'is no longer appropriate for on-field use.' The team said it would continue to sell merchandise with the logo in the Cleveland area. Summer 2020 After several sponsors publicly voiced their opposition to the name Redskins, longtime owner Dan Snyder said in early July the organization would undergo a 'thorough review.' Snyder had said multiple times since buying the team in 1999 that he had no intent of changing it. Cleveland hours later said it was considering going away from Indians, the baseball team's name since 1915. Manager Terry Francona said he was in favor of a change. On July 13, Snyder announced the Redskins moniker was being retired after 87 years, dating to the team's time in Boston. Later in the month, the organization unveiled plans to be known as the Washington Football Team for at least one season, and that name remained through 2021. MLB's Atlanta Braves and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks doubled down on their names. The Braves wrote in a letter to season-ticket holders they will 'always be' known as that, while the Blackhawks said they would continue to use their name and logo because it honors Native American leader Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation. The Braves said they were reviewing the use of the tomahawk chop and chant, a discussion they started with Native American leaders in 2019. The Blackhawks banned headdresses at home games. In August, the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs followed suit, prohibiting the use of Native American headdresses, face paint and clothing at their stadium. They faced increased scrutiny over the tomahawk chop and chant around winning their first Super Bowl title that February. December 2020 Cleveland owner Paul Dolan announced the team would no longer be called the Indians following the 2021 season. 'It was a learning process for me and I think when fair-minded, open-minded people really look at it, think about it and maybe even spend some time studying it, I like to think they would come to the same conclusion: It's a name that had its time, but this is not the time now, and certainly going forward, the name is no longer acceptable in our world,' Dolan told the AP, adding he did not want an interim moniker like Washington's. Trump quote-tweeted a story about the change with the message: 'Oh no! What is going on? This is not good news, even for 'Indians'. Cancel culture at work!' July 2021 Seemingly out of the blue, Cleveland unveiled its new name, Guardians, in a video posted to social media. They completed the season as the Indians before becoming the Guardians in November. Cleveland's new name was inspired by the large landmark stone edifices — referred to as traffic guardians — that flank both ends of the Hope Memorial Bridge, which connects downtown to Ohio City. October 2021 The tomahawk chop was front and center as the Braves reached — and won — the World Series, with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred endorsing the fan behavior, citing the support of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, based in North Carolina about three hours from Atlanta. 'The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop,' Manfred said. 'For me, that's kind of the end of the story. In that market, we're taking into account the Native American community.' February 2022 After a lengthy process, Washington rebranded as the Commanders. Snyder said the change pays 'homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation's capital.' 'As we kick off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us,' Snyder said. 'We continue to honor and represent the burgundy and gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.' President Joe Biden welcomed the name change by posting a picture on Twitter of Commander, his recently acquired German shepherd puppy, in front of the White House. 'I suppose there's room for two Commanders in this town,' Biden wrote. Summer 2023 A group led by Josh Harris, which included Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, finalized the purchase of the Commanders from Snyder for a North American pro sports record $6.05 billion. Harris and co-owner Mitch Rales, who grew up in the area of the team, used the word Redskins at their introductory news conference, sparking renewed chatter about the subject. Before the season started, Harris said ownership would not be going back to the old name. Summer 2024 Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, threatened to block a congressional bill to transfer land to potentially be used for a new football stadium in Washington unless the Commanders and the NFL honored the former Indian head logo in some way. The original logo was designed by a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. After lobbying on Capitol Hill by Harris and Commissioner Roger Goodell, the bill passed in December at the eleventh hour, and Biden signed it into law in January. It gave control of the RFK Stadium site from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which agreed to a deal with the team in April to build there, pending city council approval. February 3, 2025 After Washington made the playoffs and went on an improbable run to the NFC championship game with Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, Harris said at his season-ending news conference that the Commanders name was here to stay, quieting speculation about another rebrand. 'I think it's now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff, so, we're going with that,' Harris said. 'Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It's about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It's really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.' July 20, 2025 With the stadium deal not yet done, Trump threatened to block it if Washington did not go back to the name Redskins. Trump on his social media site posted: 'I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington.' Asked about ways Trump could block the construction of a stadium where the team played during its glory days until moving to Maryland, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser shifted the focus to hammering out a deal voted on by the council. 'What I'm concerned about is we haven't done our part, and so we need to complete our part so that the team can get to work, so that local businesses can get hired, so that we can start earning the tax revenue that will come when we deliver the Commanders stadium,' Bowser said. ___ AP sports:
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hot shot lawyer joins fight to save Massapequa ‘Chiefs' name out of love for hometown: ‘That's our identity'
A high-powered lawyer joined the fight to keep the Massapequa Chiefs name and dissolve a state ban on Native American imagery in schools — and he worked pro bono out of hometown pride. Nashville, Tennessee-based Oliver Roberts, who grew up in town before graduating from Harvard Law, stepped up in the 11th hour to join a reinvigorated legal battle against the Empire State's logo ban. 'I think Massapequa is a great place, great people — a place of great values. I just thought it was my way of being able to give back,' Roberts, who played soccer and basketball in the Massapequa school system as a boy, told The Post. 'That's what this is really all about — the state attacking towns like Massapequa, which just are towns that care about their local values,' said Roberts, a 29-year-old constitutional lawyer who successfully took on the IRS twice in court. Roberts kept up with the Massapequa school district's initial, lengthy lawsuit against the state Board of Regents after it imposed the ban in 2023, complete with threats of the funding penalties if schools didn't comply. The Chiefs had faced their case getting dismissed in court in March, but the town sent an SOS to President Trump, who deployed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to intervene on behalf of the close South Shore community. 'LONG LIVE THE MASSAPEQUA CHIEFS!' the POTUS declared in April. Roberts, who previously sat on the Massapequa district's finance subcommittee, felt a call to action. He reached out to former school board member Gary Baldinger, a noteworthy Massapequa high alum who also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, with a simple text: 'How can I help out?' Roberts worked pro bono for weeks to file an amended lawsuit ahead of a June deadline on behalf of the district, which has said rebranding would cost taxpayers $1 million. Now with a long legal road ahead, Roberts is on the 'Pequa payroll and is playing for the Chiefs again, this time in the courthouse In May, he and the school also penned a letter to McMahon, asking for further intervention, a referral to the US Department of Justice — and even a federal funding cut for New York State. McMahon toured the high school on Friday. Feds launch discrimination probe against NY officials — after Trump backs Massapequa Chiefs name Long Island school asks Trump to step into battle over 'Chiefs' mascot with just one week until legal deadline Massapequa sports teams thriving even as contentious legal battle over mascot rages on Trump admin threatens federal civil rights lawsuit over NY high school being forced to ditch Native American mascot Hot shot lawyer joins fight to save Massapequa 'Chiefs' name out of love for hometown: 'That's our identity' 'You've got the Huguenots, we've got the Highlanders, we've got the Scotsman. Why is that not considered in any way racist?' McMahon asked. The secretary said she would take the case to the DOJ as a Title VI violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if New York didn't voluntarily back down. Roberts agreed with McMahon's stance. 'It's clearly attacking just one group on the basis of race and national origin — any other race or ethnicity is totally unattacked by this regulation,' he said. The new lawsuit also touches on other federal legalities, such as Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce between the states and Native American tribes, he explained. Massapequa has entered into a contract with the Native American Guardians Association, a group that joined McMahon at the school in support, to allow use of the Chiefs likeness following the 2023 ban. 'We're arguing that the arbitrary cut-off deadline [of 2023] is unconstitutional and discriminates against indigenous tribes' right to contract,' Roberts added, saying this should 'invalidate' the Board of Regents initiative. On top of all that, Roberts, who played as a Chief for Berner Middle School and Unqua Elementary, firmly believes getting rid of the name does a disservice to the Massapequa youth. 'I've never seen anyone disrespect it. It's always like a point of pride…We're the Chiefs. That's our identity, we proudly wore it on our jerseys,' he said. 'We were often the winning team. That added to the fact that we just really respected the name and felt like it was part of our winning culture.' Now, Roberts is planning to take that victorious reputation inside the courtroom with an update expected around July. 'We're very, very confident we're going to prevail in this matter for Massapequa,' he said.
